Prince Rogers Nelson

Prince Rogers Nelson (7 June 1958-21 April 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and filmmaker. He was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and he wrote his first song at the age of 7. He signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. at the age of 17 and released his debut album in 1978. His 1979 album Prince went platinum, and he followed this with more hit albums: Dirty Mind in 1980, Controversy in 1981, 1999 in 1982, Purple Rain in 1984, Around the World in a Day in 1985, Parade in 1986, and Sign o' the Times in 1987. He sold over 100 million records worldwide, and he was known for his flamboyant stage presence and his extravagant fashion sense, his wide vocal range, his multi-instrumental talents, and his raunchy lyrics. He died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at his recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota in 2016 at the age of 57.

Despite having a reputation as a flamboyant performer with sexual lyrics, Prince was a conservative and a follower of the Christian right movement. Raised a Seventh-day Adventist, he later became a Jehovah's Witness, and he supported the Republicans because he saw them as knowing the value of hard work; he also opposed same-sex marriage.